Bollywood with Krupa — 7-Week Series 

• Ages 10-teen 

• Tuesdays 5:30-6:45 PM

• Location: Boughton Place, Highland; final class/rehearsal Dec 9 at Rosendale Theatre

Join guest teaching artist Krupa Mehta for an energetic Bollywood dance series! Students will explore the vibrant rhythms and expressive storytelling of Bollywood — a fusion of Indian classical, folk, and contemporary styles set to upbeat music. Over seven weeks, dancers will learn new movement vocabulary and choreography culminating in a joyful new piece for Into the Light 2025.

Series Dates: 

• This is a 7 class series

• Classes are held on Oct 21, 28, Nov 4, Nov 18, Nov 25, Dec 2, Dec 9*

• No class on Tues Nov 11

• On Dec 9th, class will be held from 6:30-7:45 at the Rosendale Theatre to prepare for Into the Light (TBD)

• Into the Light performances take place on:

  • December 13 & 14 at the Rosendale Theatre (Details to follow) 

India 2026 Cultural Exchange: North to South, Rhythm to Reflection

For almost 50 years, The Vanaver Caravan has built community through movement and music. Our 2026 Cultural Exchange follows that same mission, shaped by longtime creative collaborations in Udaipur, Rajasthan, before continuing south into Tamil Nadu for a residency rooted in service, learning, and art at Auroville.

Our Udaipur partnerships

The journey begins in Udaipur, where students train, listen, and create alongside leaders in cultural thinking and rhythmic innovation:

• Shilpgram Festival – a major celebration of rural crafts, music, and dance traditions.

• Bharat Verma – India’s rhythmic innovator and one of the country’s first body percussion artists, teaching ensemble rhythm through movement.

• Shikshantar – mentors in community-rooted learning and creative inquiry.

• Swaraj University – a hub for student-led knowledge exchange and artistic research.

These collaborations include daily dance workshops, body percussion classes, cultural touring, and student exchange circles, all co-created with our Indian partners.

Heading south to Tamil Nadu

After Udaipur, we move south into Tamil Nadu, where a different kind of learning begins. Here, students join community-based training and service-learning.

Auroville residency: Art, service, community

From January 1 to January 10, 2027, students live and learn in Auroville, training at:

• Aikiyam School

• New Creations

At Auroville, the exchange shifts into ensemble rhythm, world dance training, collaborative art-making, and community service-learning projects, guided by local faculty, and shaped by Auroville values of unity and creative discovery.

While our exchange students return to New York for school and daily life, Livia Vanaver, Chelsea Needham, and Bharat Verma continue their arts residency at Aikiyam School. Their residency culminates at the end of January in Honoring the Workers of the World, a community-wide performance inspired by the rhythmic storytelling of America in Motion.

Nine student classes and faculty present nine dances reflecting professions across the world, blending regional traditions and student-created work. In the process, students explore how everyday items are made, like t-shirts and chocolate, tracing the many people whose skills bring those items into their lives. The performance honors makers, caregivers, builders, teachers, farmers, artists, and innovators, celebrating cooperation, community, and love.

A legacy carried forward in purpose

Our co-founder and Music Director, Bill Vanaver, spent several of his final months in Udaipur and Auroville. His time there, embraced by community, inspired his last hopes for the organization. He asked us to deepen our India partnerships, especially our work with students, and the communities around them, so this bridge of cultural, personal, and artistic exchange could grow stronger with the next generation.

Mock Itinerary: December 26, 2026 – January 10, 2027

A snapshot of how the winter exchange:

December 26–January 2: Udaipur Immersion
World dance workshops, cultural tours, live performance viewings, craft exchange, and daily body percussion with Bharat Verma.

January 3–January 10: Transit + Teaching
Train travel south into Tamil Nadu, collaborative rhythm pods along the journey, group reflections, shared meals, journaling, teaching work at the Aikiyam School.

January 10–January 22: Auroville Residency
Dance at Aikiyam, service-learning at New Creations, creative trials, rhythm and spell-stories crafted through movement and music, and community knowledge exchange.

Why it matters

This exchange is the embodiment of learning by doing, listening, exploring, adapting, and creating together. Our Indian partners shape our classrooms at home, and our students shape the circle when they arrive there too. The exchange is built on respect, reciprocity, curiosity, service, rhythm and music in community.